About me
Sometimes life feels overwhelming, like your thoughts are too loud and your feelings are too much to handle. You might think you should be able to cope by yourself, but you feel powerless or just lost. Perhaps one minute life is plain sailing and the next you are in a situation you’d never imagined. That can make you question everything, including yourself.
Maybe you worry about being judged for talking about what matters to you? You might feel lonely even if you know there are people who care about you. Sometimes you don’t feel the way you’re ‘meant’ to feel, or your feelings are more complicated than other people seem to expect.
In counselling, you have a chance to talk about your strongest feelings or most difficult experiences without being judged. Without being offered ‘solutions’ that seem logical but just don’t sit right with you. It can make an amazing difference.
I strongly believe that we weren’t meant to be alone with all that life throws at us. I would love to hear from you so that we can talk about how counselling might help you and how I work. If you would like an introductory 15 minute conversation, please get in touch. I can offer counselling in person or online.
Please note that I generally work from premises in Olney, but that these rooms are situated on the 1st floor of a very old building without disabled access. If you need lift access, however, I also work from a building in Central Milton Keynes where this is available.
Training, qualifications & experience
I have experience and special interests in the following areas:
· Men’s mental health. I know from my own experience that men can feel expected to ‘man up’ and overcome their problems on their own – and to ‘be strong’ for others too. That isn’t always possible, and the realisation can be scary and lonely.
· Support for people affected by pregnancy loss, infant loss and infertility. These experiences can be heartbreaking (for men and women), and sadly not everyone is offered the help they need at the right time. Families and friends may struggle to understand everything you’re going through, including the difficulties of ‘moving on’.
· Supporting survivors of sexual violence. Such trauma can impact on your relationships or be at the root of feelings you struggle to understand or speak about. You might feel chained to the past, and a fear of judgement, or feelings of shame, get in the way of your healing.
I am a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy and am bound by their Ethical Framework. I am an accredited Foundation for Infant Loss Training Practitioner, which means that my practice aligns with the gold standard of the NHS National Bereavement Care Pathway.
Member organisations
BACP is one of the UK’s leading professional bodies for counselling and psychotherapy with around 60,000 members. The Association has several different categories of membership, including Student Member, Individual Member, Registered Member MBACP, Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Accred) and Senior Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Snr Acccred). Registered and accredited members are listed on the BACP Register, which shows that they have demonstrated BACP’s recommended standards for training, proficiency and ethical practice. The BACP Register was the first register of psychological therapists to be accredited by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA). Accredited and senior accredited membership are voluntary categories for members who choose to undertake a rigorous application and assessment process to demonstrate additional standards around practice, training and supervision. Individual members will have completed an appropriate counselling or psychotherapy course and started to practise, but they won’t appear on the BACP Register until they've demonstrated that they meet the standards for registration. Student members are still in the process of completing their training. All members are bound by the BACP Ethical Framework and a Professional Conduct Procedure.
Accredited register membership
The Accredited Register Scheme was set up in 2013 by the Department of Health (DoH) as a way to recognise organisations that hold voluntary registers which meet certain standards. These standards are set by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).
This therapist has indicated that they belong to an Accredited Register.
Areas of counselling I deal with
Therapies offered
Fees
£70.00 per session
When I work
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Further information
I will work with whatever you need to bring, and we will focus on your feelings and experiences, whatever shape these take.
In case you are wondering about me, you may find it helpful to know that key elements of my life experience include pregnancy loss as a father, a challenging divorce, parenting through to teenage years and in a 'blended' family, and supporting and caring for my parents through ageing and health challenges.
